Serving Rascals, Clumsy Disciples, and Physically and Mentally Ill Believers with the Unconditional Love of Jesus Christ
Very funny, but when I first saw it, I felt convicted. I remembered the many times that I was a jerk about my faith, and very annoying to many. I don’t want to get self-critical (that is spiritual quicksand) but I’m blessed to know all my sins have been forgiven, and my “good works” are not held against me.
At Broken Believers we hold a simple faith in matters of spirituality and encourage other to do the same. I could delineate and develop an intense SoF, but I have neither the time or inclination to see this through. I believe that most of us are pretty fluid on these faith issues, but there is also a definite cohesiveness in the lives of believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Here are the two creeds that Broken Believers uses to guide and direct this ministry.
1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:
9. I believe in the holy Christian church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
11. The resurrection of the body:
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.
NOTE: The reference to Jesus as having “descended into hell” appears to be based on the Bible passage found in 1 Peter 3:18-20. In the introductory pages of “The Self-Study Bible NIV,” an explanation of the Apostles’ Creed says that Jesus descended into hell “not to suffer or to offer deceased souls a second chance, but to proclaim his lordship.” The Apostles’ Creed is not contained in the Bible. It is the work of early Christians who wanted to create a summary, based on various Bible passages, to explain to others what it means to be a Christian.
The Nicene Creed was written hundreds of years ago by Christians, as a summary of what it means to be a Christian. It is often recited in Christian churches today. The Nicene Creed is not found in the Bible but is intended to be a summary of Christian beliefs. Below is a translation of the Nicene Creed as it appears in a Lutheran hymnal.
“We believe in one God, the Father, Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and became fully human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen”
About these creeds: http://www.creeds.net/ancient/apostles.htm and http://www.about-jesus.org/apostles-creed.htm
Another very good site: http://www.gotquestions.org/nicene-creed.html
A book that may have changed more lives than any other outside of the Bible has a fascinating history. In His Steps is a novel written by Charles M. Sheldon in 1896. As it celebrates the one hundredth anniversary of its publication, experts have ranked it as the tenth-most-read book in the world.
In simple style, In His Steps tells the story of self-satisfied congregants of a midwestern church who are challenged by a tramp during a Sunday service to live up to their declaration of faith. The tramp then dies in their midst. So moved are the minister and his parishioners that they pledge to live their lives for one year asking themselves, “What would Jesus do?” Their example how they suffered, faced ridicule and emerged victorious inspires other churches throughout the country to do the same.
Reading In His Steps wrought such a profound change in my own life that I, being an actor, was inspired to adapt the book to the stage. I was also driven to delve into the background of this classic. Fortunately, I found a recent biography of Charles Sheldon called Following ln His Steps, written by Timothy Miller (University of Tennessee Press). Much of the information in this article is taken from Millerts fascinating book. I was deeply moved by the life of Charles Sheldon and his remarkable influence.
Continue reading The Story Behind the Story, of “In His Steps”
Ryken’s Bible Handbook
Broken Believers 